


Time Heals All Wounds

by ella_rose88



Series: Stories from ag-fics challenges [21]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Depression, Drama, F/M, Stillbirth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-07
Updated: 2013-03-07
Packaged: 2017-12-04 12:51:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/710973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ella_rose88/pseuds/ella_rose88
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur tries his best to help Gwen through a traumatic life event...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Time Heals All Wounds

**Author's Note:**

> This was written as part of the [Fic Battle 2.0](http://ag-fics.livejournal.com/90196.html) over at [ag-fics](http://ag-fics.livejournal.com/). The prompt was: _Either Arthur or Gwen suffering from depression/PTSD and how the other one helps them_ from [lilypad9090 ](http://lillypad9090.livejournal.com/).

“I just don’t know how to reach her, help her,” Arthur tells his best friend Merlin helplessly. 

They both are looking at Gwen as she is lounging on the sofa, eyes looking straight through the window, yet she isn’t looking at their beautiful garden. Her eyes are completely vacant and empty. But worst of all, emotionless and Arthur can’t bare it anymore. He wishes he could help her, instead he is helpless as if he is drowning in the sea and no matter how hard he swims up, he just sinks further. He wishes that he could have done something that would have prevented their beautiful newborn daughter from dying. Though, in truth he knows that they was nothing he could have done, she was born too early. 

“I know,” Merlin places his hand on his mate’s shoulder gently to confront him. “It’s been hard on you both. Maybe you both need to see someone. A psychologist,” Merlin suggests and Arthur nods his head slightly, in agreement. 

“I want to, but she refuses to.” Tears escape and rain down his cheeks, but Arthur doesn’t bother wiping them away. He isn’t afraid of showing his feelings to his friend. Rather, he needs it, he wants to be able to cry and not bury deep within -- like they did after it happened, holding each other distraught, crying and trying to understand why god would take away their precious baby. Now, every-time he watches Gwen he feels like he has lost her and no matter how hard he tries to reach her, it doesn’t work. 

He looks back over to her now and becomes frustrated. Why won’t she talk? Why won’t she cry anymore? It’s as if she has become completely paralysed, numb and has no feeling left at all, like she has placed all her feelings into a trunk and chucked it out to sea. With no hope of finding it and Arthur feels so helpless, so useless. She just continues to stare, not focusing on anything in particular and her eyes, that were usually so full of emotions, now are empty. 

“Maybe my mother could talk to her,” Merlin breaks the silence with his suggestion. Arthur considers it for a moment. Merlin’s mother, Hunith after all knows what it is like to lose a child. Merlin had an older brother who died a few years before Merlin was born. 

Arthur thinks it over for a moment, before he nods his head in agreement. “She might be able to get through to her. After all she was a mother and…” But Arthur can’t finish his sentence, too consumed with grief and an all-consuming sadness that threatens to completely overwhelm him. Merlin pats his shoulder soothingly, knowing what Arthur was trying to say, without him needing to express it. 

“I’ll ring her in a moment” Merlin tells his friend, before placing his whole arm around him, in a sort of half hug, but confronting embrace. Knowing this is what his dear friend needs right now. 

And they stand still for a moment -- Arthur allowing his best friend to comfort him, letting himself to be emotionally vulnerable in front of him. For while he will need to pick himself up and be a strong pillar for his wife, right now he wants to just stand still and feel, and just let it all out. 

*~*

_A/N: Sorry that this was angsty and depressing. I know that the prompt said depression/PTSD, but I consider losing a child to be a form of depression. I believe it would be very traumatic and life changing experience._


End file.
